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1. |
Can I use Restor-A-Finish more than once? |
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If you have deep white rings or watermarks that
do not come out with the first application, then you may want to
apply again. While Restor-A-Finish has a small amount of stain
in it, it does not work like a stain. It simply tones and
restores the existing finish, so additional applications will
not darken it. Keep in mind that since Restor-A-Finish can
penetrate through the finish, it can also "bloom" back out, so
do not soak or leave it on for more than a couple of minutes. It
is a simple a wipe-on, wipe-off process! There is now a range of
products called The Naturals in the Howard line-up. In this
range is a marvelous product which is great on all shiny kitchen
and bathroom cabinets and its called Kitchen Cabinets.
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2. |
What colour Restor-A-Finish should I use? |
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Pick the Restor-A-Finish colour
that is as close to your finish colour as possible. An exact
match is not necessary. If it seems to be in-between colours, we
recommend starting lighter and if necessary, go to the next
darker shade. Rule of thumb: Neutral when
uncertain. Remember if your colour is not the problem you don’t
need to choose a colour. Maple-Pine or Golden Oak for light to
medium yellow or golden wood tones: Walnut for mid range browns:
Dark Walnut or Dark Oak for medium to fairly dark tonings:
Cherry or Mahogany for light to darkish red tonings: Ebony Brown
for really dark furniture.
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3. |
What is in Restor-A-Finish? |
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Of course, that is a trade secret. The Restor-A-Finish
is a unique formula in that it has just the right amount of
solvent for cleaning and stain for penetrating through the
existing finish to blend out scratches and blemishes as it
restores the colour and luster in one step. It will not remove or
even soften the existing finish. If you have a safety question,
please refer to our MSDS sheet.
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4. |
I've used Restor-A-Finish but my finish still
looks dull, what do I do? |
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Try using our Restor-A-Shine products. Our
Polishing Compound and Burnishing Cream utilise extremely fine
polishing powders blended with Orange Oil to restore high shine
finishes (see the Restor-A-Shine page).
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5. |
Can I put a clear coat finish on after I am done
using Restor-A-Finish? |
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Keep in mind that the purpose of Restor-A-Finish
is to restore an EXISTING finish. If your goal is to improve the
shine, we recommend following up with our Restor-A-Shine
products. If you are looking for added protection, we recommend
following up with our Citrus Shield Paste Wax products or
Feed-N-Wax. However, if you have areas where the original finish
is missing or you are simply intent on putting on a "clear coat
finish" (ie. lacquer, shellac, or varnish) the Restor-A-Finish
must be completely dried as any residue will interfere with the
new topcoat. So if you know you will be applying a new finish,
wipe Restor-A-Finish on and wipe off quickly. Do not let it
soak. A polyurethane finish should NOT be used. Restor-A-Finish
will not let this type of topcoat finish dry.
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6. |
Can I use Restor-A-Finish on my kitchen cabinets?
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Restor-A-Finish is ideal for kitchen cabinets. It
breaks down the grease and build-up around the handles (if it is
really heavy, use Clean-A-Finish first). At the same time it
restores the original colour and luster. Typically, kitchen
cabinets have a thin lacquer finish (especially in newer homes),
so it is a good idea to protect and maintain the restored
cabinets with Feed-N-Wax. As always, test in an inconspicuous
spot.
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7. |
How long does it take Restor-A-Finish to dry?
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Restor-A-Finish will not dry. You need to wipe it
on, let it work, and then wipe it off. Some people confuse
Restor-A-Finish with a danish or finishing oil. Restor-A-Finish
does not contain tung oil, linseed oil, polyurethane, or any
other type of finish. It works by restoring the existing finish.
It is a simple wipe-on, wipe-off process.
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8. |
Can I use Restor-A-Finish on lacquered pieces? |
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Definitely! Restor-A-Finish can be used on
lacquer, shellac, and varnish. It will not penetrate a
polyurethane finish (keep in mind the vast majority of furniture
manufacturers do not use polyurethane). Restor-A-Finish will not
harm polyurethane - it will simply clean it.
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9. |
What should I use to clean with before using
Restor-A-Finish? |
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The cleaning agents in Restor-A-Finish are strong
enough to clean most of the grime or dirt on the surface,
especially when you apply it with (0000) steel wool (if you use
steel wool be sure not to rub too hard). You only need to
"pre-clean" if you have a heavy grease or grime build-up. In
that case you can use our Clean-A-Finish Wood Soap first.
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10. |
Do I use Feed-N-Wax or Orange Oil after
Restor-A-Finish? |
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After using Restor-A-Finish, we recommend
following up with Feed-N-Wax or Citrus Shield Paste Wax. Both of
these will provide added protection and shine to your newly
restored finish. Use Howard Orange Oil for regular cleaning and
dusting.
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11. |
What's the difference between Feed-N-Wax and
Citrus Shield Paste Wax? |
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Feed-N-Wax is a blend of beeswax, carnauba wax,
and Orange Oil that is of a gel consistency. It is very easy to
apply and buff off and is ideal for finishes that are dry,
faded, cracking, or crazing. Citrus Shield Paste Wax contains
much more of the harder carnauba wax (the hardest natural wax
available). It provides a higher shine and greater protection.
Citrus Shield is great for enhancing high gloss finishes and for
unfinished wood providing a natural hand rubbed finish. Both can
be used on finished or unfinished woods.
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12. |
How often do I use the Orange Oil? |
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As often as you dust or clean your furniture.
Orange Oil cleans with real Orange Oil, so it will not dry out
your finish. We recommend at least once a month.
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13. |
Feed-N-Wax leaves wax, Orange Oil cleans wax
build-up - are they compatible? |
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Yes they are compatible. "Build-up" is a
combination of dirt, grime, wax etc. and is usually caused by a
lack of cleaning and not by over applying wax. Orange Oil helps
break down this excess build-up, however it will not remove all
of the wax like many wood "cleaners" do. Feed-N-Wax should be
used every three months or so depending on how dry the wood is,
the type of wood finish, climate, etc. - Orange Oil can be used
every time you dust.
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14. |
Can your products be used on painted or
whitewashed finishes? |
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Feed-N-Wax is really good for
enriching and preserving flaky or battered paint finishes that
you may wish to maintain in a “rustic” sense. It is particularly
nice on old tin or enamel advertising signs that are faded.
Feed-N-Wax will enrich faded colours, even on old metal toys,
tin or lead soldiers and other collectables. We have seen
Feed-N-Wax used to clean and bring back depth and richness of
colour to old oil paintings. No ... you cannot paint over
Feed-N-Wax. Feed-N-Wax is not recommended for whitewashed
finishes as it will tend to yellow the original colour and
cannot then be re-whitewashed.
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15. |
My Tassie Oak bathroom cabinets are faded and have white
water marks from water splashing on them, what can I do? |
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Use the Restor-A-Finish to eliminate the
watermarks and then follow-up with the Feed-N-Wax. Feed-N-Wax is
excellent for protecting Oak, Pine, Jarrah, in fact all woods
that are exposed to moisture. Feed-N-Wax brings out the original wood colour and
enhances the wood grain while it leaves a coat of
water-repelling carnauba wax and beeswax to help protect the
wood from moisture and occasional splashing. There is now a
range of products called The Naturals in the Howard line-up. In
this range is a marvelous product simply called Kitchen
Cabinets.
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16. |
Can I use your products on my outdoor furniture? |
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Yes. While our products were
primarily designed for interior use many woodworkers and even
builders use Feed-N-Wax and Orange Oil. Orange oil replenishes
vital oils in overly dry timber and Feed-N-Wax is naturally UV
ray resistant. However you must regularly maintain these natural
outdoor finishes as they are not designed to dry hard like
polyurethane’s which supposedly deliver a more permanent and low
maintenance finish. A really great alternative to plastic
finishes is to go with Howard
Orange Tung, a
combination of pure Tung Oil
mixed with pure Orange Oil. Email us on
info@howardproducts.com.au to find out more.
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17. |
Can I use your products on my teak wood? |
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Golden Oak Restor-A-Finish is
wonderful on teak that has been finished in shellac,
polyurethane or some other finish over the natural wood. For
teak that has been stripped, once again Golden Oak Restor-A-Finish
will leech out any residual finish still dormant within the wood
and will help to re-create a light coat of the correctly
coloured finish, which you then finish with Feed-N-Wax or Golden
Oak Citrus Shield. To maintain teak Orange Oil and Feed-N-Wax
are wonderful partners. Remember teak, just as with Tasmanian
Oak and Australian Cedar, has it’s own natural oils, so use our
products sparingly.
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18. |
What can I use on my wainscoting,
architraves and skirting boards in pine, maple, oak or cedar? |
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Restor-A-Finish if they’re
scratched, marked, faded or generally battered. Golden Oak for
pine, maple and oak. Mahogany for cedar, and jarrah. For
maintenance use Orange Oil to clean and polish and Feed-N-Wax
when you feel a bit more protection is needed. Note: When these
products are dry they do not attract dust.
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19. |
How do I remove the lacquer
coating from modern brass or copper before I use Pine-Ola Copper
& Brass Polish ? |
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Any acetone based lacquer/paint
remover will take off the lacquer coating. Some products are
even labeled Brass/Lacquer remover. Once you have exposed the
raw brass you may find you still have bits of lacquer sticking
to it. Saturate a small piece of Howard #0000 steel wool with
Pine-Ola Copper/Brass polish and gently rub away until clean.
Once clean you can then polish with the Copper/Brass polish and
buff with soft toweling type cloth. To replace the protection of
the lacquer, coat the brass or copper with Feed-N-Wax, leave for
a few moments then gently buff.
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20. |
Do your metal polishes contain petroleum
distillates? |
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No, our Pine-Ola products are water-based and use
the power of pine oil to clean and protect.
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21. |
Are Howard Products natural? |
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Yes and No. Australian formula
Howard Orange Oil is 100% natural. Feed-N-Wax is 99% natural but
contains a small amount of a binding product. Citrus Shield
Natural is just that … 100% natural. Citrus Shield in colours
contains a dash of pigment and binding agent which may be less
than 100% natural.
Restor-A-Finish is NOT natural, that would be impossible. Restor-A-Shine
contains powders bound with Howard Orange Oil. Note: If you want
guaranteed 100% natural vegetable derived products containing
natural essential oils have a look at
the Naturals range from Howard
Products. These products are genuinely aromatherapeutic and
provide a healthier way to clean woodwork, marble, granite,
kitchen surfaces and even upholstery. Check them out.
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22. |
Is mineral oil
toxic? |
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The words Mineral
Oil on the label of many consumer products can send “natural
only please” purists into a frenzy … but why? There is a hard
held perception that because it’s a petro bi-product it’s
somehow toxic and unsafe. Well let’s have a look at that.
Mineral oil comes in light and heavy grades and can often be
found in chemist stores in different forms. For instance there
is a super high grade edible standard which Howard Products uses
in the blending of certain oil and wax products where purity and
non toxicity is paramount. In the late 1800s, the term "mineral
oil" or "rock oil" was used to describe the petroleum
hydrocarbons and associated products that were produced from
wells that tapped underground reservoirs. These names made it
easier to differentiate petroleum hydrocarbons produced from
underground sources from other common oil sources at the time,
such as vegetable oils or whale oil. Due to its low price and
plentiful supply, mineral oil is utilised in a wide variety of
ways. Most products that contain mineral oil tend to promote
their
properties as low-toxicity, non-reactive general purpose
lubricants and conditioners for many surfaces. It is a
transparent, colourless, odourless and tasteless oil composed
mainly of alkenes and in a thickened form is often called
petroleum jelly. Mineral oil with
added fragrance is marketed as baby oil in most developed
countries and it is often marketed as a skin ointment. Talking
about babies, mineral oil is also used in obstetrics to
lubricate a woman’s birth canal and ease a new baby's entry into
the world. Many other applications are also in common use. It is
often used on the very young to ease inflammation and rashes and
its known to alleviate mild eczema. Parents have used it for a
hundred years on children to clean inside ears because it
softens hardened earwax enabling a gentle flush of water to
remove it. It’s also been known as a cure for dandruff. Mineral
oil can be taken orally as a lubrative laxative, and is often
prescribed to ease the pain of bowel movements for those who
suffer from hemorrhoids and constipation. Like everything,
natural or not, too much taken orally is not a good thing. Heavy
handed doses of mineral oil when used internally on people can
increase the likelihood of a harmful degree of absorption into
the body. Mineral oil is a common ingredient in cold creams,
ointments and cosmetics and it is sometimes used as a personal
lubricant and as an alternative to plant or herbal oils for
massage. Mineral oil is also often used as a coating on metal
tools and knives as a way to inhibit oxidisation. It can be used
as a leather conditioner when blended with lanolin and Carnauba
wax and it’s also a great wood preservative. A light coating of
mineral oil, rubbed into well-sanded wood, provides an
easy-to-apply and relatively durable toxic-free finish, without
the odor, toxicity or drying time of varnish or urethane. That’s
why we use it in our world famous Orange Oil and Feed-N-Wax
woodcare products. Mineral oil contains properties which prevent
water absorption, so combined with its lack of flavour and
odour, food grade mineral oil is a popular preservative for
wooden cutting boards, salad bowls and utensils, that’s why
Howard Butcher Block Conditioner contains edible grade mineral
oil. Rubbing a small amount of Butcher Block Conditioner
containing mineral oil into a wooden kitchen item periodically
will prevent absorption of food odours and ease cleaning, as
well as maintain the integrity of the wood, which is otherwise
subjected to repeated wetting and drying in the course of use.
The mineral oil in Butcher Block Conditioner and Howard
Feed-N-Wax fills small surface cracks that may otherwise harbour
bacteria. It’s pretty apparent that the fears “natural” purists
hold about toxicity in mineral oil are really pretty well
unfounded. No manufacturer of woodcare products could be more
concerned about eco and human friendly products than Howard
Products. Howard Products was the first to introduce a range of
cleaning products called ‘The Naturals’ which contain only pure
vegetable derived ingredients and essential plant oils. This
range, by the way, does not contain mineral oil because it is
not a vegetable derived product, there is no other reason.
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